Device for making returns, pleats, and spaces in draperies



April 10, 1962 D. J. SCHIAVONE 3,029,004

DEVICE FOR MAKING RETURNS, PLEATS, AND SPACES IN DRAPERIES Filed March 13, 1961 I 4 I m "I v 56 l: F/ 5 INVENTOR.

57 I DOMINIC J. SCHIAVONE AGENT earshot 1 1) "a Q tin t i t m an e 1 1 i a, ifi t. to: minefield .h. nevi Pei. MHAQQ PatentedApr. 19, 1952 l 2 3,629,994 lilraetesclrq'e'wed into tapped holes in the underside of DEVICE FOR MAKillslG RETURNS, PLEATS, AND SPACES IN DRAPERXES Dominic J. Schiavone, 9671 Cypress Ave, Fontana, alif. Filed Bier. 13, 1961, Sci. No. 95,399 6 Claims. (Cl. 223-64) ation, in that it can be adjusted to any desired dimensional set-up by means of three simple fingertip adjustments, after which the drapery material may be measured, folded and pinned by merely drawing the material over and around certain parts of the device, and inserting pins at the place provided for that purpose. In this connection,

the invention speeds up the operation of pleating and pinning draperies to the extent that one work er using the device and assisted by a sewing machine operator can equal the production of six workers using conventional techniques of pleating and sewing draperies.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of the kind described, which produces perfectly formed, identical returns, spaces and pleats throughout the entire width of the drapery, with such accuracy'that a drapery for a -0 inch window can be made to within inch of the desired width. Furthermore, work of this accuracy can be produced time after time by workers of only average experience.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described which is inexpensive to manufacture, simple and easy to use, compact and light in weight, and which can be made portable or permanently mounted in place on the work table.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof, refer ence beinghad to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying the principles of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the same;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken at 3-3 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken at 44 in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken at 55 in FIGURE 3.

In the drawings, the device of my invention is designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 10 and comprises a flat, rectangular base plate 11, upon which is mounted an upwardly and rearwardly inclined frame 12.

The frame 12 consists of two laterally spaced, parallel side plates 13 and 14, which are connected across their back sides by cross members 15 and 16. Slidably disposed within the space between the side plates 13 and -the edge 22 of the shoe 21 by means of two screws (not shown) which extend up through holes 23 in the shoe 21 The shoe 21 is spaced a slight distance above the top surface of the base plate 11, and is provided with a rearwardly extending enlargement 24, at one end thereof,

which abuts against one side of a narrow strip 25, to which it is secured by a pivot pin 26. The axis of the pivot pin 26 extends from front to rear, as seen in FIGUREB, and the transverse shoe 21 can be rocked on the pivot pin 26 through a slight angular travel to increase or decrease the clearance between the shoe 21 and base 11, so as to accommodate different thicknesses of drapery material thercbetween. Adjustment of the angular position of the shoe 21 is effected by means of a thumbscrew 36 which is threaded through a tapped hole 31 (FIGURE 4) in a laterally projecting car 32 at the outer edge of the enlargement 24. The thumbscrew 34) extends through a hole 33 in the base plate 11, in which it is free to rotate but is restrained against endwise movement by means of a setscrew 34. When the thumbscrew St) is turned, .the ear 32. is raised or lowered with respect to the base plate 11, causing the shoe 21 to pivot on the pin 26, thereby lowering or raising the other end thereof. The shoe 21 is stabilized and braced by means of a block 36, which is secured to the top surface of the base plate 11 in the corner formed by the ear and the end of the enlargement 24. The block 36 bears against the adjacent faces of the enlargement 2d and ear 32, and provides back-up support for the same. The underneath and back sides of the shoe 21 are smoothly rounded, as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, and the underneath portion of the shoe 21 adjacent the enlargement 24 is relieved slightly at 41 to provide additional clearance between it and the base plate 11, to accommodate the fold in the drapery material.

The sliding center piece 20 has an indicator 42 attached to its lower end, which includes a laterally projecting portion 43 that extends over and slides on the surface of the left-hand side plate 13. It will be noted in FIGURE 1 that side plate 13 has a graduated scale 44 provided thereon, marked in inches and fractions thereof, measured from the bottom of the frame 12. The purpose of these I graduations will be explained presently, and it will sufiice the drapery. A narrow, transversely disposed groove 25' U is provided in the top of the member 42 to receive and guide the point of a pin, as the latter is inserted through the folded drapery material. A thumbscrew 60 is threaded through a tapped hole in the top crosspiece 15 on the back side of the frame 12, and the inner end of this thumbscrew abuts against the back of the slide 20 to lock the latter in adjusted position.

Attached to the top side of the slide member 20, near the upper end thereof, is a block 47 having an aperture 43 therein extending lengthwise of the slide member. Slidably received within the aperture 48 is the shank 5%) of a pleating hook, the lower end of which is bent laterally at 5?. to engage and hold the drapery as the latter is folded to form the pleats. A thumbscrew 52 is thread ed into the block 47 from the top side thereof and bears against the side of the shanksti to lock the pleating hook at its adjusted position. A graduated scale 53Qis inscribed on the top surface of the slide 2t? down the,

Pivotally mounted on the base plate 11 adjacent the bottom edge of the frame 2 at one edge thereof is a pin holder 56, having a laterally projecting pin 57 at the free end thereof. The pin-holder is swingably supported on a pivot pin 58, which is secured to the base plate 11, and the holder is swingable between the positions shown in solid lines and phantom lines in FEGURE 3.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The diiensions of the returns, spaces and pleats are first determined by conventional methods of figuring, taking into account the area to be covered, the width of the material, the number of pleats desired, and the distance to be covered by the returns. With the dimensions thus established, the device It is adjusted to make the first return and the first pleat at one end of the drapery. This adjustment is effected by loosening the thumbscrew 69 and sliding the center member 2t} up or down on the frame 12 to place the lateral projection 43 of member over the graduation on scale corresponding to the dimension for the return. The thumbscrew 69 is then tightened to lock the slide lit in adjusted position. 1. e thumbscrew 52 is then loosened, and the shank d of the pleating book 51 is moved up or down through the block 47 to place the hook 51 directly above the graduation on scale 53 corresponding to the pleat depth dimension.

The edge of the drapery material is then hooked onto the pin 57 of the holder 56, while the latter is positioned as shown in FIGURE 1. The material is carried up over the member 42 and is passed under and around the hook 51, and back down over the member 42. Holding the material down firmly against the underneath thickness of the same, the operator pins the top and bottom thicknesses of the material together, inserting the pin through the material so that the point tlereof enters the groove 46 and is guided thereby.

With the first return and the first pleat thus made, the operator removes the drapery material momentarily from the device it), and resets the slide 23 after first loosening the thumbscrew 60. Prior to making this next adjustment, the operator measures off the desired space beween pleats on the drapery material, and either marks the material or inserts a pin therein, measuring from the pin of the first pleat. The first return and first pleat are then placed on the base plate it behind the frame l2, and the drapery material is drawn under the shoe 21 and up over the frame 12. Holding the material taut, with the first pleat drawn snugly against the back side of the shoe 21, the operator moves the slide up or down to place the pin groove 46 directly under the mark be has previously made on the material. He then tightens the thumbscrew 6G, to lock the slide 20 in adjusted position.

Leaving the first pleat in place behind the shoe 21, the operator carries the material up under and over the hook 51, then down over the member 42, where he inserts another pin through the top and bottom thicknesses of the material to form the second pleat. Here again, the pin is inserted so that its point enters the groove and is guided thereby. The remaining pleats are then formed and pinned by merely sliding the material off to the left so as to remove it from the hook 51 and from the gap between the shoe 21 and the base plate 11. The last-formed pleat is then placed in the corner behind the shoe 21, and the material is again drawn up over the frame 12 to the hook 51, where it is passed under and over the hook and back down to the member 42, and another pin inserted through the material to form the pleat. The side plate 14 can be marked with a pencil or scratch mark adjacent the pointer 45, if desired, to enable the operator to adjust the device to the same space dimension in making future draperies.

If, upon completion of pleating and pinning the drapery, it should be found that the drapery is incorrectly made owing to an operators error in figuring the dimensions, it is a simple matter to readjust the device slightly to change the pleat and space dimensions, and after unpinning the material, to redo the drapery to the correct dimensions. It has been found that experience that one operator using the device it to pleat and pin draperies, with a sewing machine operator assisting, can equal the output of six experienced drapery makers using conventional measuring or trial-and-error methods of making draperies.

While I have shown and described in considerable detail what i believe to be the preferred form of my invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the shape and arrangement of the several parts Without departing from the broad scope of the invention, as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A device for making returns, spaces and pleats in draperies, comprising a base having a frame projecting therefrom, said device having means defining a narrow slot through which drapery material can be passed and drawn up over said frame, means on said device engageable with one edge of said drapery material to hold the same while the first return and first pleat are being formed, said frame including a member slidably supported for movement toward and away from said drapery engaging means, said member having a pinning point provided thereon, a graduated scale on said frame having its origin closely adjacent said drapery engaging Jesus, said member having means cooperating with said graduated scale to enable said member to be adjusted to a position for a predetermined drapery return dimension, means for locking said member in adjusted position, a pleating hook slidably supported on said frame above said member and movable with respect to the latter along a path parallel to the path of the member, a second graduated scale on said frame having its origin at said pinning point on said member, said pleating hook cooperating with said second graduated scale to enable said pleating hook to be adjusted to a position for a predetermined pleat depth dimension, and means for locking said pleating hook in adjusted position, said member being adjustable to a second position after the first return and first pleat have been made so as to position said pinning point at a predetermined space dimension from said slot whereby each succeeding pleat is spaced apart from the preceding pleat by said predetermined space dimension when said preceding pleat is engaged and held by said slot as the new pleat is formed and pinned.

2. A device for making returns, spaces and pleats in draperies, as defined in claim 1, wherein said drapery engaging means comprises a pin holder pivoted at one end on said base for swinging movement between an operative position and an inoperative position, said pin holder having a pin projecting laterally from the free end thereof which is engageable with the edge of said drapery material to hold the same when said pin holder is at said operative position.

3. A device for making returns, spaces and pleats in draperies, as defined in claim 1, wherein said slot is defined between the bottom edge of said frame and said base, the first return and first pleat of the drapery being placed behind said frame, and the material being drawn through said slot and up over said frame and around said pleating hook to form succeeding pleats.

4. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said member is provided on its top surface with a narrow pinning groove extending transverse to the line of sliding movement of said member.

5. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said member consists of a slide mounted on said frame for sliding movement toward and away from said drapery engaging means. and pin guiding means attached to the bottom end of said slide and cooperating with said first-named graduated scale to enable said pin guiding means to be adjusted to a position for a predetermined drapery return dimension, said pleating hook being slidably supported on said slide near the top end thereof, and said second graduated scale being formed on the top surface of said slide.

6. A device for making returns, spaces and pleats in draperies, comprising a horizontal base plate having an inclined frame extending upwardly therefrom, said frame being mounted at its lower edge on a shoe extending horizontally over said base plate at a slight distance above the latter, said shoe being pivoted at one end for vertical swinging movement, means for securing said shoe at an angularly adjusted position, said frame consisting of two laterally spaced side plates and a vertically slidable center plate, means for locking said center plate against sliding movement. a member attached to the bottom end of said center plate and projecting upwardly therefrom, said member having a narrow pinning groove provided in its top surface extending transversely to the line of sliding movement of said center plate, a. p-in holder pivoted at one end on said base plate and swingable between operative and inoperative positions, said pin holder having a pin which is engageable with an edge of the drapery material to hold the same, one of said side plates on said frame having a first graduated scale provided thereon which has its origin at a point closely adjacent said pin, said member cooperating with said first graduated scale to position said pinning groove at the drapery return dimension from said pin, a pleating hook slidably supported on said center plate adjacent the upper end thereof, a second graduated scale on said center plate having its origin at said pinning groove, said pleating hook cooperating with said second scale to provide a predetermined pleat depth dimension, and means for locking said pleating hook in adjusted position, said center plate being movable to a second adjusted position after the first return and first pleat have been made so as to position said pinning groove at a distance from the back side of said shoe to space each succeeding pleat art a predetermined space dimension from the preceding pleat when the latter is engaged under said shoe.

Carrignan Mar. 31. 1959 

